Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2015 Nissan Altima: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 949 safety complaints about the 2015 Nissan Altima with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

949
Complaints
10
Recalls
3
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 45 crashes, 5 fires, 26 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Visibility & lighting leads the complaint list, cited in 291 of 949 complaints, followed by Airbags & restraints.
  2. Complaints peaked 4 years after the model year (138 filed in 2019) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  3. One recall is a do-over. NHTSA records show recall repairs that were previously performed incorrectly — worth a VIN check even if you had recall work done.
  4. 3 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2015 Nissan Altima, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 949 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Visibility & lighting
291
Airbags & restraints
178
Power train / transmission
161
Body & structure
110
Other / unspecified
96
Engine & cooling
66
Suspension
64
Electrical
54

"The headlights are dangerously dim. There has been a class action lawsuit for these specific makes and models for the reflectors in the headlights being damaged over time, resulting in the entire headlight assemblies needing replaced."

Owner complaint filed August 2026 · Exterior Lighting · NHTSA ODI 11757201

"Got a post card stating that the headlamp covers were recalled I called Nissan to make an appointment and Nissan has fought me every step of the way. I am unable to see at night with my headlights on and I have to turn on high beams at night just to see. It's very frustrating to not being able to see and very expensive to pay tickets for driving with high beams on."

Owner complaint filed January 2026 · Exterior Lighting · NHTSA ODI 11712357

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2015 Nissan Altima peaked later than usual, in 2019.

Complaints filed per year — 2015 Nissan Altima
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
3
40
88
71
82
138
130
113
106
61
51
35
31
14151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2015 compares with other model years

Across the Nissan Altima model years we track, the 2013 has the most complaints on file (2,309); the 2015 ranks 4 of 7.

Total complaints by model year — Nissan Altima
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
1,547
425
2,309
1,112
2015
949
552
390
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 10 recalls, including a do-over

10 recalls apply to some or all 2015 Nissan Altima vehicles. Note the flagged campaign: it covers vehicles whose earlier recall repairs were performed incorrectly.

Feb 201515V-116
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 1, 2013, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.

Aug 201515V-486
Fuel System, Gasoline

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) notified the agency on July 31, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2016 Nissan Maxima vehicles manufactured February 10, 2015, to August 18, 2015. On October 14, 2015, Nissan expanded the recall to cover an additional 41,388 vehicles, including certa…

Oct 201515V-681
Air Bags:Frontal

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima and Pathfinder vehicles, 2013-2014 Nissan Sentra vehicles, 2013 Infiniti JX35 vehicles, 2014-2015 Infiniti QX60 vehicles and 2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles received an incorrect occupant c…

Nov 201515V-733
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2015 Altima and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured October 6, 2015, to October 7, 2015. The affected vehicles have front brake calipers whose mounting bolts may not be properly tightened.

Jan 201616V-029
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Nissan Altima vehicles manufactured March 6, 2012, to December 31, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the secondary hood latch may bind and remain in the unlatched position when the hood is closed.

Apr 201616V-244
Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Nissan Maxima, 2013-2016 Nissan Altima, NV200, LEAF, Sentra, and Pathfinder, 2014-2016 Nissan NV200 Taxi, Infiniti QX60, QX60 Hybrid, and Q50 Hybrid, 2014-2017 Nissan Rogue and Infiniti Q50, 2015-2016 Nissan Murano, Murano…

Dec 201616V-911
Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Altima vehicles manufactured January 3, 2013, to July 29, 2013, 2015-2016 Rogue vehicles manufactured October 14, 2014, to August 12, 2016, and 2016 Maxima vehicles manufactured June 4, 2015, to August 19, 2015. An incorre…

Jan 201717V-040
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles. The rear door latch/lock cable on the vehicles may have been improperly routed. As a result, lowering a rear window may inadvertently cause that door to unlatch and open.

Dec 201818V-915Repair done incorrectly
Structure:Emergency:Escape/Egress/Exit

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Altima vehicles, previously remedied under recall number 17V-040. The door latch-lock cable may not have been routed properly in the rear door when the remedy was applied. As a result, the cable may interfere with the window regulato…

May 202020V-315
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hood:Latch

Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2013-2018 Nissan Altima vehicles. If the primary hood latch is inadvertently released, there is an increased likelihood that the secondary hood latch may corrode over time.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2015 Nissan Altima have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 949 complaints about the 2015 Nissan Altima with NHTSA. The most-reported system is visibility & lighting.

How many recalls does the 2015 Nissan Altima have?

The 2015 Nissan Altima has 10 NHTSA recalls on file. One recall reopens earlier campaigns whose repairs were performed incorrectly. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2015 Nissan Altima safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2015 Nissan Altima an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.